The interpretation of istiwaa' (rising above the Throne) in the saying of Allah the Exalted: "Then He rose above the Throne"
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Question:
A Sudanese resident of Jeddah asks about istiwaa' (rising above the Throne) in the noble verse in the saying of the Truth, Blessed and Exalted is He:[Al-A'raf 7:54]
Answer:
Yes, istiwaa' (rising above the Throne) is as Imam Malik said when he was asked about it. The questioner asked him, "How did He rise above the Throne?" Imam Malik was so embarrassed that he was covered in sweat from the fear of Allah Mighty and Majestic and the reverence for Allah Mighty and Majestic, because such a question is not to be asked. Then he raised his head and said, "O this one, istiwaa' (rising above the Throne) is known, but the how is unknown.
And belief in it is obligatory, and asking about it is a bid'ah (religious innovation)—meaning asking about the how. As for asking about the meaning, about the meaning of istiwaa' (rising above the Throne): "He rose above the Throne" means He was upon it and He rose above it, Glorified and Exalted is He. So the meaning of "He rose above the Throne" is that He was upon it and He rose above it. As for the how of the istiwaa' (rising above the Throne), this is known by none but Allah, like the other attributes. We believe in them and we refer their how to Allah Glorified and Exalted is He. As for their meaning, it is known. Yes.
The presenter:
May Allah reward you.
A Sudanese resident of Jeddah asks about istiwaa' (rising above the Throne) in the noble verse in the saying of the Truth, Blessed and Exalted is He:
Indeed, your Lord is Allah, who created the heavens and earth in six days and then established Himself above the Throne.
إِنَّ رَبَّكُمُ اللَّهُ الَّذِي خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ فِي سِتَّةِ أَيَّامٍ ثُمَّ اسْتَوَىٰ عَلَى الْعَرْشِAnswer:
Yes, istiwaa' (rising above the Throne) is as Imam Malik said when he was asked about it. The questioner asked him, "How did He rise above the Throne?" Imam Malik was so embarrassed that he was covered in sweat from the fear of Allah Mighty and Majestic and the reverence for Allah Mighty and Majestic, because such a question is not to be asked. Then he raised his head and said, "O this one, istiwaa' (rising above the Throne) is known, but the how is unknown.
And belief in it is obligatory, and asking about it is a bid'ah (religious innovation)—meaning asking about the how. As for asking about the meaning, about the meaning of istiwaa' (rising above the Throne): "He rose above the Throne" means He was upon it and He rose above it, Glorified and Exalted is He. So the meaning of "He rose above the Throne" is that He was upon it and He rose above it. As for the how of the istiwaa' (rising above the Throne), this is known by none but Allah, like the other attributes. We believe in them and we refer their how to Allah Glorified and Exalted is He. As for their meaning, it is known. Yes.
The presenter:
May Allah reward you.
Source
قناة «العلامة الدكتور صالح الفوزان»، برنامج (فتاوى) (079) لمعالي الشيخ صالح الفوزان بتاريخ [1436-02-18] - كبار العلماء — youtube.com (27:16)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.